Working to reject how shame negatively influences our choices will help us enjoy the sunny summer days to the fullest! One of the best ways to do this is to learn to recognize and reject negative self-messages and replace unhealthy thoughts and behaviors with positive alternatives.

Suggestions for Loving the BeYOUtiful You

Replace negative self-talk with one self-compliment. Each time you find yourself sounding more like Regina from “Mean Girls” and criticizing details of your body, apologize to your body by thinking of one aspect you like.

Be a critical consumer of media. Whether you are scrolling through Pinterest or flipping through the pages of a magazine, keep in mind that the image has been airbrushed, stretched, shrunk, and brightened to create an unrealistic ideal. Even the woman, or man, in the photo can’t fit the ideal they are made to represent!

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Place sticky notes on top of your swimsuits with body positive messages. Then when you go to pick out your swimsuit, you will be ready to rock it with confidence!

Summer is finally here – pool parties, beach vacations, and hot tub outings present the perfect opportunity to wear your favorite swimsuit. Magazines, televisions shows, and advertisements tell us to rock our “perfect bikini bods.” But what is a bikini bod or a beach body? The terms suggests that a body that is beach-worthy must adhere to “impossible-to-achieve” cultural standards of beauty and attractiveness. Statements, like the ones above, increase feelings of anxiety or nervousness about our bodies, known as body shame. In fact, body shame has become a norm; many people live in a constant state of shame that feels completely normal for today’s society (Peat, Peyerl, & Muehlenkamp, 2008). This normative feeling of wanting to either hide or change something about our bodies not only prevents us from fully experiencing summer, but has been linked to disordered eating, anxiety, depression, poor performance in school, and sedentary lifestyles. REbeL is committed to encouraging a body positive lifestyle and decreasing body shame by raising awareness and encouraging healthy acceptance of self and others.​I have a beach body. And yes, you do too. It’s the beYOUtiful body you put your swimsuit on.